This can cause respiratory issues for those exposed to the smell, especially people with asthma and other health problems. And its only going to get worse, the USF report suggests. Yucatn Towns Get Creative, In Hotter Climate, 'Zombie' Urchins Are Winning And Kelp Forests Are Losing, Masses Of Seaweed Threaten Fisheries And Foul Beaches, Heat Wave Killed An Estimated 1 Billion Sea Creatures, And Scientists Fear Even Worse. mostrar anuncios y contenido personalizados basados en perfiles de inters; medir la efectividad de los anuncios y el contenido personalizados, y. desarrollar y mejorar nuestros productos y servicios. For the last few months, the talk has been all about Sargassum, also referred to as the seaweed blob, the floating algae that's washed ashore in places such as the Florida Keys, Barbados and Cancun, Mexico. You may be more sensitive to it if you have asthma or other breathing conditions. And the record amounts reported in recent years are even more concerning for scientists and island governments. "Everything grows fast. For this reason, larger beach communities and resorts, with greater resources, are able to manage this problem better. Likewise, you can often find recent beach reviews (with photos) on Google (sort for newest). As the sargassum situation on any given island can vary with the currents and the tides, take a peek before setting out on your beach day. All Rights Reserved. Experts don't know whether a sargassum bloom of this size will happen every year, Lapointe said. Experts say tough tactics cost lives, U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Those elements can be dumped into the ocean from rivers, which gain concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen from human activities such as agriculture and fossil fuel production, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. hide caption. Stay out of the water, and beware, because it's coming. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Florida woman who raged about finding fetus in hotel room learns what was really in fluid-filled bag, Hero saves trapped woman after she drove her car into swimming pool, Florida boy, 7, killed by stray bullet during July 4 fight over jet skis: cops, Dog nannies lift lid on caring for ultra-wealthys pets: Pup had better insurance than me!, enormous, smelly seaweed blob that has blanketed Floridas beaches. All opinions are entirely my own. In the US, cleanup is often done with Barber beach rakes pulled by a tractor, Lapointe said. Attempts to use sargassum as fertilizer, food, biofuel, construction material or medicinal products continue, but many Caribbean islands are unable to remove the vast amounts of the seaweed because they are struggling financially and have limited resources. (1) A footprint near seaweed . Luckily, experts believe the amount of Sargassum on Florida beaches will only continue to wither as the summer progresses. A 2021 paper reporting health problems experienced by 154 patients in the Caribbean in 2018 described a range of symptoms caused by exposure to . Sargassum, which the Caribbean Sea delivers seasonally to the Gulf Stream and then Central Florida's beaches, . Counties surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea will benefit from decreased Sargassum as the 5,000-mile Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, which carries the smelly seaweed, continues to move. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Why Is This Lake in Australia Bright Pink? While new to many, sargassum seaweed has actually been causing problems going back at least as far as Christopher Columbus. The blob is currently pushing west and will pass through the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, with the seaweed expected to become prevalent on beaches in Florida around . Phosphorus and nitrogen in the sea can serve as food for the algae. Ricardo Mazalan/AP She's been recognized for her work nationally and regionally by organizations including the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists. Prior to 2011, sargassum seaweed largely remained contained in the Sargasso Sea, northeast of the Caribbean. Typically, sargassum season in the Caribbean begins in about April and is done by October. Furthermore, in large volumes, it can deprive fish of oxygen and smother whole coral reefs. "This has been devastating for over a decade. The University of South Florida says, in 2011, large amounts of sargassum seaweed appeared in the Caribbean Sea creating environmental, ecological, and economic problems. These groups are typically populated by very knowledgeable locals and frequent visitors who can offer up-to-date information. "Whatever we believe we know today," he said, "it may change tomorrow.". Stay out of the water, and beware, because its coming. Very little Sargassum was found by the end of June in the Straits of Florida and along the east coast of Florida.. Left to rot on the beach, sargassum can turn into a problem. A giant seaweed blob is making its way toward the Caribbean and Florida. A giant blob of seaweed is headed to Florida and the Caribbean - could This stinky and smelly problem in America's southern beaches just won't go away. does not bode well for a clean beach year, 1 in 10 tourists said theyd reschedule a vacation. Florida beaches brace for 5,000-mile blob of seaweed to deposit rotting goop. The bacteria belong to a genus called Vibrio, which includes more than 100 species. And the plastic debris we pour into the oceans may be making the situation worse. Learn more about the giant blob of seaweed headed to the U.S. | WUSF Her favorite travel memory is visiting Sundsvall, Sweden, her great grandfather's birthplace. "I was scared," he recalled feeling when he saw the historic number for June. What Is Sargassum? Barbados has been especially hit hard since flying fish make up 60% of the island's annual landed catch, according to the University of the West Indies. To read other articles about Gulf coast Florida beaches, check out: Allison loves learning about new people and places and always jumps at the chance to take a trip. / CNN. It isn't a shark or a sea monster. A 5,000-mile-wide blob of seaweed is headed for Florida, threatening tourism across the Caribbean By Jackie Wattles, CNN Updated 1:18 PM EDT, Thu March 16, 2023 Link Copied! Not only is sargassum algae smelly and ugly, the gases it releases when decomposing can potentially be hazardous to people who are tasked with cleaning it up, day in and day out. A giant blob of seaweed creeping in the Atlantic Ocean is headed to the Gulf of Mexico. When it washes up on shore, it rots and gives off hydrogen sulfide. The seaweed forms large mats that float on the oceans surface due to its gas-filled bladders. Caribbean island escape a complete guide to discovering the best of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. It still remains to be seen if Texas will get any seaweed from the larger belt later this summer. The gas emitted from the rotting algae hydrogen sulfide is toxic and can cause respiratory problems. For weather updates, follow Travis Herzog on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners. Here's what you should know about why these masses happen and how they affect both humans and ocean life. Some areas of the Caribbean and Key West are already starting to see seaweed wash-up. Looking ahead, the total sargassum quantity is expected to increase over the next few months, with impacts of beaching events worsening, it reads. The blob of smelly seaweed is hitting beach shores just as . Sargassum is a catchall term that can be used to refer to more than 300 species of brown algae, although Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans are the two species most commonly found in the Atlantic. A carpet of brown algae recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking and snorkeling tours. Bryan said he is now trying to find local funds to clean beaches, "but a lot of things need money right now.". The Sargasso has no land boundaries; instead, four prevailing ocean currents form its boundaries. Recent years, however, have seen an exponential growth in the amount of sargassum seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean. "This is an entirely new oceanographic phenomenon that is creating such a problem really a catastrophic problem for tourism in the Caribbean region, where it piles up on beaches up to 5 or 6 feet deep," Lapointe said. Coverage of the red tide outbreak across the region. 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Beachgoers, be prepared to spot this giant seaweed blob making its way into Galveston, ABC13 Chief Meteorologist Travis Herzog breaks down sargassum seaweed bloom headed toward Florida. Sargassum seaweed blob headed toward Florida, the Caribbean. Why? We have compiled a list of Caribbean beaches that have historically not been affected by the seasonal bloom of sargassum to help you with your travel plans. She is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist. Learn more about the giant blob of seaweed that's headed for some Atlantic beaches. Florida and Caribbean islands fight back against influx from 5,000-mile Tell us your story. The seaweed also contains arsenic in its flesh, making it dangerous if ingested or used for fertilizer. Giant, Smelly Seaweed Swath Stretching 5,000 Miles - TravelAwaits The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt as the biomass stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico is called contains scattered patches of seaweed on the open sea, rather than one continuous blob of sargassum. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados. But effectively, weve shown that the genome itself contains all of the ingredients, if you will, for a pathogen.. Incredible clumps of Sargassum swarmed the Sunshine State in mid-March, mainly spiling up along Key West, Fort Lauderdale and other South Florida communities. "It did ruin my personal beach plans.". The seaweed blob is currently in the Caribbean Sea pushing west into the Gulf of Mexico. Nosotros, Yahoo, somos parte de la familia de marcas de Yahoo. In the Cayman Islands, a thick carpet of sargassum had prompted officials to launch a trial program in which crews pumped more than 2,880 square feet (268 square meters) of seaweed out of the water. Experts believe the brown seaweed famously known for its stench reminiscent of rotten eggs is being pushed away from the US toward the Central West Atlantic, where reports of Sargassum have increased over recent weeks. See. What's causing it? It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their boats and fishing areas and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Florida sargassum seaweed: Where's it going, when will it arrive? Seaweed from this source typically peaks along the Texas coastline in April and May. Learn about the seaweed impacting Florida beaches. Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Aug. 3, 2022. Si no quieres que nosotros ni nuestros socios utilicemos cookies y datos personales para estos propsitos adicionales, haz clic en Rechazar todo. Now, these sargassum blooms are starting to wash ashore in the Sunshine State and the Caribbean, creating a mess that local municipalities are left cleaning up and causing environmental and health-related issues. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belta goopy mass of leafy, floating seaweed stretching across 5,000. The researchers also ran lab tests that showed that most of the Vibrio found in the samples stuck to plastic very well and could break open blood cells from sheep, a telltale sign of potential pathogenicity. In 2023, however, the season started even earlier, with sargassum starting to pile up on Caribbean beaches in March. FLORIDA For months, scientists and officials have been eyeing a massive 5,000-mile-wide seaweed blob that stretched from the West Africa Coast to the Gulf of Mexico as it made its way toward Florida. Overall, the size of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt only shrank a few percentage . Required fields are marked *. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide emanating from huge rotting clumps of seaweed, which can affect people with respiratory problems including asthma. "This is the worst we've ever seen it for sure," said Melody Rouveure, general manager for a tour company in the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten, which shares an island with St. Martin. An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish at the French Caribbean island of Martinique. Getting rid of sargassum seaweed is an extremely expensive and labour intensive process. Welcome to the home of pink coral-scapes and fluorescent lizardfish. What to know about the sargassum seaweed blob hitting Florida : NPR More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June 2022, shattering the all-time record, set in 2018, by 20%. Lakes Beach is covered in sargassum in St. Andrew along the east coast of Barbados on July 27. According to the Sargassum Information Hub, a joint project between the University of South Florida, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and other institutions, these floating forests, at their normal distribution, provide a critical habitat for fish, marine mammals, seabirds, invertebrates, and reptiles. Sargassum has been showing up in the Caribbean since 2011 so most of the islands have had some experience in dealing with it. Just like plants and crops on the ground, the proliferation of seaweed can shift year to year depending on ecological factors, affected by changes in nutrients, rainfall and wind conditions, said Dr. Gustavo Jorge Goni, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. He noted it was 20% higher than the previous record set in May 2018. Shes covered everything from political conventions to Super Bowl LV to hurricanes and, most recently, the pandemic. Amaral-Zettler and her colleagues didnt find either of these species in the samples they studied. Since 2011, large amounts of sargassum have invaded the Caribbean every year except 2013 an anomaly that scientists believe may have resulted from a lack of nutrients and a change in wind strength and direction. Giant rotten egg-smelling seaweed blob shrinks off Florida coast All rights reserved. Your email address will not be published. Gov. Clumps of 5,000-mile seaweed blob bring flesh-eating bacteria to Its believed to be the result of climate variability and other natural and unnatural processes. A blob of seaweed double the width of the U.S. thats inching across the Caribbean and delivering loads of algae to Florida beaches is also carrying some unwelcome tourists: disease-causing bacteria. Sargassum piles up on beaches where it quickly decomposes under hot sun, releasing gases that smell like rotten eggs. The Spectacular Beauty of China's Red Beach, This Once-Thriving Hotel Couldn't Compete With Climate Change, Why Won't These Icebergs Leave Canada Alone? Within the U.S., she continues to check states off the list, most recently making a trip to Alaska for her honeymoon. The AP is solely responsible for all content. People enjoy a Miami Beach largely free of seaweed on Monday, the day before the Fourth of July. It also has a negative effect on tourism, often keeping visitors away. Most islands have webcams set up on popular beaches (usually found on their tourism webpage). SEE PREVIOUS REPORT: Beachgoers, be prepared to spot this giant seaweed blob making its way into Galveston. A giant seaweed blob is washing up on Florida shores. What is sargassum She has traveled outside the U.S. several times including trips to London, Switzerland, and a cruise through the Western Caribbean. A 5,000-mile-wide blob of seaweed is headed for Florida In all the samples they analyzed, the researchers found a gene for a protein thatV. vulnificususes to stick to human intestinal cells and genes that produce compounds that break open red blood cells. Seaweed blob twice width of United States headed toward Gulf of Mexico Some larger destinations (such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen) are experimenting with booms to stop the seaweed before it reaches the beaches at all. Sea currents are also influential on sargassum's growth and how much it accumulates, Goni added. FLORIDA. Hu said it could be an issue for hotel workers and others who may spend hours removing the decomposing sargassum from beaches. Atlantic sargassum belt carrying massive seaweed toward Florida - UPI A Look At 7 Contenders, Dont Take A Chance On Clear Skies The States With The Best Stargazing Views, Dont Miss This Citys First-Ever Fourth Of July Laser Show When And Where To Visit, For details on Quillt's privacy and cookie policies, please visit our, The Best Florida Beach House Rentals In The Gulf, 16 Florida Beach Towns Our Readers Love (2022), How To Spend A Day On Floridas Beautiful Honeymoon Island, 14 Best Things To Do In Beautiful Venice, Florida, Plus Where To Eat And Stay. Once it washes ashore, sargassum is a nuisance a thick, brown algae that carpets beaches, releasing a pungent smell as it decays and ensnares humans and animals who step into it. The 5,000-mile-wide seaweed bloom may be one of the largest in history. Sargassum is a large, brown seaweed - the common name for various species of marine plants and algae - that floats along the ocean's surface. 'The sargassum season for Florida is gone': Mysterious seaweed Our island relies on our beautiful water and the tourism it draws to our community.. "We know it's variable from year to year and that the trajectory is generally going upwards. Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe for Nature Lovers, A Guide to Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It sounds like something from a horror movie -- except this blob isn't eating people. More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, up from 18.8 million tons in May, according to a monthly report published by the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab that noted "a new historical record.". Although Sargassum creates a natural ecosystem that helps sustain fish, sea turtles and other animals in the open ocean, within the past decade it has begun regularly forming massive blooms that wash up on beaches. Seaweed blob headed to Florida that smells like rotten eggs shrinks April 10, 2023 / 8:12 AM Atlantic sargassum belt carrying massive seaweed toward Florida, Caribbean By Stephen P. Leatherman, Florida International University April 10 (UPI) -- An unwelcome. 10 Photos of Seaweed Blobs That Will Blow Your Mind, In the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles archipelago, this aerial shot from April 2015 shows sargassum seaweed creeping toward a beach on Grande-Terre, which is part of the island of Guadeloupe, one of France's overseas. The seaweed also contains arsenic, so ingesting it or using it in fertilizer can also pose real health risks. Samples tested from the Caribbean and Sargasso Sea within the Atlantic were abundant with plastic debris, . When sargassum decomposes, it releases ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which accounts for the rotten-egg stench. Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, on Wednesday. The hydrogen sulfide can cause watery eyes and irritate your nose and throat. Scientists say more research is needed to determine why sargassum levels in the region are reaching new highs, but the United Nations' Caribbean Environment Program says possible factors include a rise in water temperatures as a result of climate change and nitrogen-laden fertilizers and sewage waste fueling algae blooms. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic. What is unusual this year compared to previous years is it started early, Hu said. A lot of concrete. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento haciendo clic en el enlace Configuracin de privacidad y cookies o Panel de control de privacidad de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. Winner will be selected at random on 08/01/2023. Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Peru: Machu Picchu and the Last Incan Bridges, Taste of Greece: Culinary Traditions & Ancient Ruins, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Freemasons, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Spring-Heeled Jack, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Gilles de Rais, An Introduction to Sensory History With Carolyn Purnell, Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Mixology With Derek Brown, Thrills & Chills: Horror Story Writing With Nino Cipri, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Life Without Light: Creatures in the Dark With Sarah McAnulty, How Milwaukee Is Celebrating the Typewriters Long, Local History, Spot the ISS and Other Satellites in Our Busy Night Skies, Wildfire Smoke Changes Orangutan Calls in Borneo. The seaweed is expected to show up on beaches in Florida around July, Lapointe said. Knowledge awaits. Article: Could Robots Save us From Sargassum Seaweed? "What were seeing in the satellite imagery does not bode well for a clean beach year.". From 2011 forward (when sargassum seaweed first showed up on Barbados), this algae would start to hugely impact communities relying on beach-destination tourism. A Giant Blob of Seaweed Is Heading to Florida - The New York Times Plan ahead so your vacation won't disappoint. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Article: Could Robots Save us From Sargassum Seaweed? Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You've likely heard about the 5,000-mile-long belt of Sargassum seaweed stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, but did you know there is a local. A researcher says her award-winning image of a swirling school of fish is also a metaphor for the oceans' health. A 10 million-pound blob is riding ocean currents and washing up on the southern tip of Florida. (Zan Barberton The Guardian, March 2023). Impacts of Sargassum beaching events will continue to be felt throughout the (Caribbean Sea and Gulf) coastal regions, although it is difficult to predict exact timing and location for individual beaching events., "Its incredible," Brian LaPointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic Universitys Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, told NBC in March. proporcionarte nuestros sitios y aplicaciones; autenticar usuarios, aplicar medidas de seguridad y evitar el spam y los abusos, y. medir el uso que haces de nuestros sitios y aplicaciones. What Do You See in This Spiral of Color and Light? . A 2020 study showed that 1 in 10 tourists said theyd reschedule a vacation to Key West if they knew the sargassum bloom was present, according to NPR. The toxins in red tides can harm marine life, and sargassum buildup on beaches can prevent sea turtle hatchlings and adults from getting to sea, Lapointe said. Science and technology are racing to catch up with this problem and are developing innovative solutions to manage sargassum seaweed. The seaweed had been intertwining with plastic marine debris that carries a bacteria called Vibrio, which experts described as thedominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment.. 'Substantial' sargassum expected in Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico - MSN 9 Best Caribbean Beaches Without Sargassum Seaweed In 2023 This means South Florida beaches, others along its east coast, and beaches in states to the north will also see the seaweed. Sargassum is a brown seaweed that is an important habitat for certain animals like crab, shrimp, sea turtles, and tuna that have adapted to rely on it.
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